| Texto da nota |
"The 2C, 2C-T and DO-series of designer drugs pose a number of challenges to forensic toxicology laboratories. Although these drugs are seized by law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, they are not readily detected in forensic toxicology laboratories. A systematic evaluation of the cross-reactivity of nine commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) was conducted using eleven psychedelic amphetamines. Cross-reactivity was measured towards 4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-B), 2,5- dimethoxyphenethylamine (2C-H), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenethylamine (2C-I), 2,5-dimethoxy- 4-ethylthiophenethylamine (2C-T-2), 2,5-dimethoxy-4 isopropylthiophenethylamine (2C-T-4), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-propylthiophenethylamine (2C-T-7), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-bromoamphetamine (DOB), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylamphetamine (DOET), 2,5-dimethoxy-4 iodoamphetamine (DOI), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (DOM) and 4-methylthioamphetamine (4-MTA). Some cross-reactivity towards 4-MTA was noted, but cross-reactivity towards the ten remaining 2C, 2C-T and DO-series drugs was extremely low (<0.4%), greatly reducing the likelihood of detection during routine screening. As a consequence, laboratories that rely upon immunoassay rather than more broad spectrum chromatographic screening techniques, may fail to detect these powerful psychedelic substances. A procedure for the simultaneous detection of 2C-B, 2C-H, 2C-I, 2C-T-2, 2C-T-7, DOB, DOET, DOI, DOM and 4-MTA in urine was developed and optimized using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and solid phase extraction (SPE). Limits of detection for all analytes were 2 – 10 ng/mL and limits of quantitation were 10 ng/mL or less. Additional reference materials were made available, allowing liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) to be used for the simultaneous detection of fifteen psychedelic amphetamines in blood and urine. The following additional designer drugs were included in the assay: (2C-T-4, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chlorophenethylamine (2C-C), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylphenethylamine (2C-D), 2,5-dimethoxy-4-ethylphenethylamine (2C-E), and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-chloroamphetamine (DOC). Assay performance was evaluated in terms of analytical recovery, limit of detection, limit of quantitation, precision, accuracy, linearity, matrix effect and interferences. The techniques described allow for the simultaneous detection of fifteen psychostimulants at sub-ng/mL concentrations. Despite their use among recreational drug users, the prevalence of these drugs in forensic toxicology investigations is not widely reported or understood due to variety of analytical and pharmacological challenges. In a study of 2,021 adjudicated forensic casework specimens, 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) was detected in two cases at a concentrations of 1 and 2 ng/mL in urine. The drug is often sold in the form of LSD-like “blotters”. DOI is a low-dose (1.5-3 mg) psychostimulant that is renowned for its powerful psychedelic effects. This is the first report of DOI to date. The low concentrations and highly sensitive and techniques that are required highlights the significant analytical challenges faced by forensic laboratories when detecting many of the psychedelic amphetamines." |
